Rotary machine



0a. 14, 1941. E. ZERBE BOTARY MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Filed Dec. 27,1938 Oct. 14, 1941. L. E. ZERBE v 2,259,056

ROTARY MACHINE Filed Dec. 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 mmm 2 III,

Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE M53056,"

National Supply Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication December 27, 1 938, "Serial No. 247,155

8 Claims (01; 255-23) This invention relates to rotary drillingappaconnection which is ordinarily formed as a split ratus of th typeemployed in drilling oil, gas, bushing having driving facescomplementary to water, or other wells or holes, and is more parthemultiple faces ofthe-kelly. This splitibushticularly directed to animproved form ofdriving ing is normally fitted within a square recessconnection between the rotating mechanism an 5, formed in the top of amaster bushing, which rotated drill stem of such apparatus. 7 I masterbushing is in turn carried within and The principal object of thisinventionis to proturned by the rotary table. vide a connecting meansbetween the rotating Asthe driving torque transmitted from theromechanism and therotated drill: stem wherein tary table must passthrough the split master 10st motion or back lash between the rotatingl0 bushing and inturn'through the split drive bushmeans and theconnection or drill stem is elimiing, a relatively great amount of, lostmotion or netted, back lash develops between the rotary tabl and Anotherobject of this invention is to-provide a the drill stem or kelly. Inaccordance with my rotary machine having an integral kelly driveinvention, a considerable portion of this back lash bushing which may beeasily, moved into or out or lost motion is eliminated by providing'adrive of driving relation with respect to the rotary connection directlyfrom the rotary table to an table, and when moved into'operative'position, integral kelly drive bushing and inaccordancecooperates with inclined surfaces. to eliminate with my invention, thelost motion between these back lash or lost motion. elements iseliminated while still permitting nor- Other objects and advantages ofthis'invenma'l easy insertion and withdrawal of'the'kelly tion it isbelieved will be apparentfrom'the folbushing. 1 ,7 g lowing detaileddescription of a preferred em- In my invention'asillustrated in theaccombodiment thereof as illustrated in th accompanying drawings, therotary machine is illuspanying drawings. trated at I. The rotary tablecommonly includes In the drawings: astationary base 2 uponwhich therotary table Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rotary machine 3 isrotatably mounted. W The rotary table 3 has aillustrating the kellydrive bushing in position central opening 4 and supported in this openinin the rotary table. v j is the split master'bushing 5. a V p Figure 2is a sectional elevation taken sub-. ,,,The construction of the rotarytable I nd stantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrat the mountingoftthe master bushing 5 may be as ing the driv kelly in position. jillustrated in the'-copending application of For- Figure 3 is aperspective view of the rotary rest ,J. Young, Serial No. 201,349, filedApril 11, machine and drive bushing illustrating" the drive 1938;

bushing as elevated away from engagement with As illustrated in Figures1 to 4, inclusive, there the opening in the rotary table andillustrating is formed in the upp S ace of t e tab1e3 a a portion of themaster bushing broken away in non-circular recess 6 which is adapted toreceive the rotary table. V a non-circular base 7 of the kelly drivebushing Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional view incor- 8. In'this formof construction there is formed a porating a forc diagram therein. 4pair of outwardly extending projections 9 formed Figure 5 is a top planview of a modified form upon'opposit'e sides of the base 1. Theprojections of construction embodying my invention. 1' 9 are pted to fitin poc p OJ'e ted from Figure 6 is a sectional elevation taken subtheopening 4 of the table 3. Each pocket I has stantially on the line 6-6of Figure 5. an clined driving face II and an inclined sur- I have foundthat in modern high speed drillface I2. Each projection 9 has acomplementary ing, using the apparatus as it has heretofore been drivingface 13 and an inclined surface M. The constructed, wherein heavydrilling apparatusis proportions of 'theseparts is such that thebushemployed for drilling to great depths, thatthe ing 8 rests uponthe-inclined surface l2 with the drive connection between the drill stemordrive driving faces H and I3 in operative engagement. kelly and therotary machine permits consider- If desired, the driving faces I l andI3 are of able lost motion and back lash, having a serious complementaryinclination, and in such case, the detrimental effect both upon theapparatus and inclination of the driving faces is upward in the upon thedrill stem or kelly. direction of rotation of the respective projectionsThe apparatus as normally employedjincludes 9. 'Such inclination ishereinafter referred to as a kelly which is a multi-faced driven membermy theengaging angle. The advantage of having an which is driven from arotary table through a. engaging angle on the driving faces H and i3construction, the companion surfaces l2 and H are placed at an anglerelative to the driving '7 faces H and I3 in order to relieve the boltsN3 of any undue shear load. In the construction illustrated, it will benoted that the driving faces ll tend to force the two halves of thebushing 8 to slip along the line of their joint, and in order that thistendency need not be resisted by the bolts l6, the inclined surfaces l2and [4 are dis-- posed at the angle shown.

The angle of inclination from the vertical of the surfaces l2 and I4 ismade great enough to prevent wedging and binding of the projections 9within the pockets I0. By providing these surfaces 12 and M at such anangle, there is also provided adequate clearance when the bushing 8 isinserted into or withdrawn from operative position. The relation of theinclined surfaces l2 and i l to the driving faces and i3 is such thatthe drive bushing Srests upon the surfaces l2 and against the drivingfaces ll, without contacting the bottom ll of the pockets H), asillustrated in Figures 2 and 4, with the result that there is no lostmotion or driving clearance between the table 3 and the kelly drivebushing 8.

I have illustrated in Figure 4 diagrammatically the forces acting oneach projection 9. In this illustration the weight W of the drivebushing 8, acting on the inclined surface 12, produces the reactionforce R which is resisted by the driving surface I I. The driving forceA whichis normal to the driving surface II has a horizontal component Bwhich is effective to rotate thebushing 8, and a vertical component Cwhich serves to hold the bushing downwardly against displacement. Thevector diagram as illustrated in Figure 4 is merely illustrative and isnot'intended to be an accurate vector analysis of the magnitude of theforces involved. It will be apparent from this illustration, however,that the inclination of the surface 12, in conjunction with the force ofgravity, acts to apply a force R on the 54. The driving faces 52 areformed with an engaging angle and the inclined surfaces 53 are formedwith a similar but greater angle so that the-weight of the bushing 5|acts to maintain the driving faces 52 in contact with their respectivecompanion faces on the table 54. The included angle between the planesof opposed faces 52 and 53 is made great enough to avoid wedging of thebushing 5| within the table 54. It will be apparentthat the forcesacting on this modified form of construction are similar to thoseillustrated in Figure 4 for the bushing 8. The upper portion of bushingEl may be constructed in a manner similar to that described for thebushing 8 and, as in the previous case, locks 55 may be provided ifdesired.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I donot wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my inventionis of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

In a kelly drive adapted to be driven by a rotary member, thecombination of a bushing adapted to be received in driving engagement bysaid rotary member, said bushing and rotary member having driving faces,each of said driving faces having a substantially upright inclinedsurface arranged so that driving contact between said driving facesproduces a downward force on said bushing, and means to resist saiddownward force including inclined companion surfaces on said bushing androtary member, each of said companion surfaces being inclined in thesame direction as said driving faces andbeing disposed on a greaterangle from the vertical than the angle of said inclined driving faces.

2. In a kelly drive adaptedto be driven by a rotary member, thecombination of a bushing adapted to be received in driving engagement by'said rotary member, said bushing and rotary projection 9 in a directioncounter to the driving I force A.

If desired, means may be provided in the table 3 to supplement theaction of the driving faces II and I3 to prevent upward displacement ofthe bushing 8. This means is herein illustrated as including locks 18which may be'of the type dis closed in the copending Young applicationhereinabove referred to. These locks are additionally useful when it isdesired to rotate the rotary table in a reverse direction.

The bushing 8 is provided with a non-circular opening IS, theconfiguration of which corresponds with the configuration of the kellyIS. The kelly I5 is adapted to slidably and nonrotatably engage thebushing 8 within this opening. The ribs 20 of the bushing Bare providedfor rigidity. Grease fittings 2| may be utilized for lubricating thesliding contact within the opening 19. The lower end 22 of the kelly I5is normally larger than its non-circular portion and therefore the kellydrive bushing rests upon this enlargement 22 and remains upon the kellyI5 member having driving faces, each of said driving faces having asubstantially upright inclined surface sloping downwardly and in adirection generally opposed to the normal direction of rotation of saidrotary member, whereby driving contact between said driving facesproduces a downward force on said bushing, and means to resist saiddownward force including inclined companion surfaces on said bushing androtary member, each of said companion surfaces being inclined in thesame direction as said driving faces and being disposed on a greaterangle from the vertical than the angle of said inclined driving faces,said driving faces and companion surfaces being arranged so that theyconverge outwardly.

3. A kelly drive as defined in claim 2, in which the driving faces" aresubstantially radial.

4. In a kelly drive adapted to be driven by a rotary machine, thecombination of a bushing and a rotary member, said bushing and rotarymember having driving faces, each of said driving faces having asubstantially upright inclined surface sloping downwardly and in adirection generally opposed to the normal direction of rotation of saidrotary member, and means to resist said downward force includinginclined companion surfaces on said bushing and rotary member, each ofsaid companion surfaces being inclined in the same direction as saiddriving faces but on a greater angle from the vertical, the algebraicdifference in inclination between said companion surfaces and saiddriving faces being great enough to permit easy withdrawal of saidbushing from said rotary member.

5. In a kelly drive device adapted to be driven by the table of a rotarymachine, the combination of a bushing carried centrally of said table.means whereby said bushing may rotate said kelly, a pair of laterallyextending projections on said bushing, each of said projections having asubstantially upright inclined driving face, said table having pocketsfor the reception of each of said projections, each of said pocketshaving a complemental driving face for engagement with the driving faceson said projections, said driving faces sloping downwardly and in adirection generally opposed to the normal direction of rotation of saidtable, and complemental inclined companion faces on said projections andpockets arranged on an angle from the vertical greater than the angle ofsaid inclined driving faces and normally acting responsive to the weightof said bushing to maintain said inclined driving faces in drivingcontact.

6. In a kelly drive device adapted to be driven by a rotary member of arotary machine, the combination of a polygonal-shaped bushing adapted tobe received in driving engagement by said rotary member, said bushinghaving a pair of parallel sides, driving faces on said bushing and saidrotary member at one of said parallel sides, each of said driving faceshaving a substantially vertical inclined surface arranged so thatdriving contact between said driving faces produces a downward force onsaid bushing, and means to resist said downward force includingcompanion surfaces on said bushing and rotary member at the other ofsaid parallel sides, each of said companion surfaces being inclined fromthe vertical in the same direction as said driving faces but on agreater angle, the algebraic difference in inclination between saidcompanion surfaces and said driving faces being great enough to permiteasy withdrawal of said bushing from said rotary member.

7. In a device for transmitting rotary motion from the table of a rotarymachine to a drill stem extending therethrough, the combination of asubstantially square drive bushing having means whereby it may rotatethe drill stem, said drive bushing being adapted to be received indriving engagement with said rotary table, means forming a drivingconnection between said drive bushing and said rotary table, said meansincluding substantially upright inclined driving faces on said bushingand said rotary table positioned at one end of each side of said bushingand adapted to meet in driving contact, said driving faces slopingdownwardly and outwardly, and inclined companion surfaces on saidbushing and said rotary table positioned at the other end of each sideof said bushing, said inclined companion surfaces sloping downwardly andinwardly and being disposed on a greater angle from the vertical thanthe angle of said inclined driving faces, said bushing resting on theinclined companion surfaces of said table, whereby the weight of saidbushing acts to urge said driving faces into engagement.

8. The combination with a rotary machine table and a kelly adapted to bedriven by the rotary machine table, of a drive bushing having anonrotatable and longitudinally slidable connection with the kelly and areleasable drive connection with the rotary machine table, saidreleasable drive connection including a plurality of wedge memberscarried by said drive bushing and pockets in said table receiving saidwedge members, each wedge member and pocket being formed withcomplemental substantially upright inclined driving faces, the directionof inclination of said driving faces being downward and in a directiongenerally opposed to the normal direction of rotation of said table,each wedge member and pocket also being formed with complementalinclined companion surfaces of greater inclination to the vertical thansaid driving faces and having the same direction of inclination as saiddriving faces, said pockets extending below said wedge members to permitsaid wedge members to move farther into said pockets when wear occursbetween said wedge members and said table.

' LEWIS E. ZERBE.

